Unfinished Business
by supercode
Summary: One shot AU story for the season 2 episode "Seeing Red." A "Moira lives story" with a twist. NOT an Olibel story. Written at the request of Czarna Pantera for a Christmas fic exchange.


**AU fanfic starting during the events of the Season 2 episode, "Seeing Red." Written at the request of Czarna Pantera. I hope you enjoy it!**

 **As I noted in the summary, this story does NOT take place in the same universe as my other Arrow stories, and thus, it is NOT an Oliver/Isabel story. But I hope you all enjoy it anyway!**

A long black limousine drove down an old road at the edge of Starling City.

The road itself, a narrow segment of worn out, black pavement that was only ten miles long, and was obviously in need of some serious repair, was not much too look at, but it had a long history. This particular path, which had once been called Smithy road, due to the blacksmiths who had sold horseshoes to passing travelers along the dirt trail that the pavement had covered over a century ago, was now referred to by most locals as "Old Starling". However, this particular path was older than Starling City itself, and many events of both great and terrible significance had occurred along this road. Men and women had once been hung along this road during Starling's early frontier days. Some for crimes they were actually guilty of, and some for crossing powerful people, their controversial viewpoints, or simply the color of their skin. Fish, oil, and spices had once been traded along this road…along with slaves from other parts of the world. Officially, slavery had been abolished in Starling City since before the Civil War. Unofficially, however, Starling's more unscrupulous criminals had kept this inhumane practice alive through sex trafficking, and some of the older crime families in that city still used Old Starling to ship their "product" from the coast to the highway, then to the rest of the country.

At one end of Old Starling, a small settlement, named after the reflections of starlight that travelers could see in the bay at night, had sprung up along the coast. This settlement had grown into a sprawling metropolis over the years due to all of the fisheries and ports that had sprung up along the water. A city that had lifted up men with names like Queen, Merlyn, and Steele to positions of wealth and power that most could only dream off…while in the streets, the poor were neglected, leaving the strong to take whatever they could through bloodshed. The weak were left to die by the side of the road as countless souls left the world prematurely as the result of greed, or in the case of one horrific incident that had occurred in the Glades a little under a year ago, one man's madness and pain.

On the other end of the road, just before Old Starling met the interstate outside of the city it had taken its name from, a fork had been added about 30 years ago. A fork which led to a mansion which had been commissioned by a man named Robert Queen for him, his wife, and their children to live in. A mansion the Queen family had filled with love and laughter…as well as secrets, lies and betrayal, until Robert and his son had been lost at sea and presumed dead. Some time later, Oliver Queen had come home a very different man, vowing to right his father's wrongs. But he had failed to do so completely, and the Glades had been all but leveled as a result. What's more, the heir of the Queen family fortune had brought new secrets, new lies…and, without being aware of it, new dangers to Starling City and the Queen family when he had returned home from the Island the Chinese had named after Purgatory.

The results of Oliver's actions, colliding with some of his parents' old sins and secrets coming back to haunt the Queen family, had two major consequences. One, the Queen family had lost the company the Queen patriarch had founded, and was quickly running out of money due to Thea Queen's refusal to sign her last name on any legal document. And two, that two individuals were about to die on Old Starling Road.

However, nobody in the black limo was aware of this last fact, nor did any of the limo's passengers pay any attention to the road which had they had all safely traversed thousands of times before over the years. Indeed, Moira, Oliver and Thea Queen were all far too busy arguing at that moment to pay any attention to their surroundings.

Thea Queen glared at her brother as she spoke to him while leaning her head against the nearest car window. "You knew about Roy."

Oliver had a stoic look on his face as looked back at Thea. "What?"

Thea Queen scoffed and shook her head at her brother's lame attempt to dodge the assertion she just made. "That's why you had your bodyguard stalking me. Somehow, you knew what was going on with him."

Oliver sighed, then looked back at Thea, purposely not looking his sister in the eye as he did so. "I'm just trying to protect you."

Thea's eyes were cold as she looked back at her brother. 'Half-brother,' Thea mentally reminded herself. 'Another lie.' Thea's words reflected her thoughts as she said. "By not telling me the truth. Just like with Malcolm Merlyn."

Thea Queen frowned as she looked between Oliver and Moira Queen. "You know, the two of you are more alike than you think. You think you're protecting me by lying and by keeping secrets. But that's what's actually hurting me."

Oliver shook his head, but said nothing. Moira Queen was not so silent, however, and after a short sigh, she began to speak, while carefully avoiding eye contact with her two children. "You're absolutely right. We need to turn a new page."

Thea scoffed again. "It's not going to be that simple. Or easy."

Moira nodded. "I know. If the truth were easy for me, we wouldn't be in this situation. But to start….There's something about Malcolm that both you and Oliver need to know."

Moira briefly looked at both Oliver and Thea before she continued speaking. "Malcolm…"

CRUNCH!

Before Moira Queen could finish that sentence, however, another car collided with the limo that the Queens were driving in, an event which shattered the window closest to Oliver Queen, and pinned the Queen family's limo between the other vehicle and a large tree on the side of the road. The impact between the two vehicles immediately rendered Moira's children unconscious, and the Queen matriarch herself was near that point herself after the collision. However, before succumbing to the darkness clouding her peripheral vision, she looked away from Oliver and Thea, both of whom were bleeding from the head, just like their mother, in order to ask her family's driver for help.

Fortunately, the limo driver, being in the front of the vehicle which had been impacted from the rear, was uninjured, apart from a few bumps and bruises. Said driver had already turned his head towards the back of his vehicle as he spoke to his only conscious passenger while reaching for his cellphone. "Don't worry, Miss Queen! I'm calling 911 right now! Help will be on its way really so…"

But the brief spark of hope that had started in Moira's heart was quickly extinguished when her employee's words were interrupted, as the driver's side door was torn off the limo from the outside. Then a pair of hands entered the vehicle and quickly snapped the driver's neck before he could even press the nine button on his cell. The man's lifeless body was then violently thrown out of the limo onto the side of the road, before the former soldier who killed him sat down in the seat the corpse had been occupying a moment ago.

Moira gasped as she recognized the unmistakable visage of a bearded man with one eye and salt and pepper hair, as the man who had kidnapped her daughter not too long ago shot the Queen matriarch a grin. A grin that did not reach the former ASIS soldier's eyes as he effortlessly broke the dead driver's cell phone in one hand while he spoke. "I'm afraid no help will be coming for you or your children, Miss. Queen. Sleep now. It may be the last chance that you have to rest above ground."

Despite her efforts to fully regain consciousness and save her children from the mad man seated in front of her, her head wound wouldn't allow her to do anything besides obey Slade's words, and the Queen matriarch soon lost the battle with the pain behind her skull, and her blurry vision. And then Moira Queen knew only darkness.

* * *

Sometime later; Moira really couldn't be sure how long it had been since she had lost consciousness, the Queen matriarch started to wake up. Slowly. Just flickers of consciousness here and there. Feeling her hands tied behind her back and that she was now sitting on her knees. Opening her eyes and slowly recognizing, to her abject horror, that both of her children were similarly bound; with an already conscious and screaming Thea on her knees next to her mother, and Oliver sprawled out on the ground several feet in front of his mother and sister, Little by little, Moira Queen's brain started to register that she and her offspring were still in danger.

Moira's senses seemed to reactivate themselves, one by one, as she tasted the chilly night air that surrounded her, and smelled the blood that was still slowly leaking out of her and her children's wounds. But the last sense that Moira regained was her hearing, as she dimly recognized the sound of Thea's crying, and then the sound of her own voice, as the Queen matriarch tried to quietly reassure Thea that "Everything is going to be okay."

Moira then began calling out to her son, begging for Oliver Queen to wake up, before she heard a voice from the shadows that drew her attention away from Oliver. After the man with the eye patch stepped into Moira's view and began speaking to Oliver, Moira began to cry out in fear and frustration, as her still groggy mind couldn't make out all of the conversation between her son and the older man. But there were a few things that Moira's slow moving mind registered.

Moira heard Slade say something about a woman named Shado. And something else about how Oliver had failed to save that woman and that it was somehow Oliver's fault that the Queen family was in danger now. Not much of it actually made sense to her, but one fact did manage to crystallize in Moira's semi-lucid brain.

Moira looked from Slade to her son with an expression on her face that was somewhere between shock and horror. "Slade….You were on the island. With Oliver."

Moira's focus had returned by the time Slade Wilson has turned back toward Moira. "I thought I had known true despair, until I met your son."

Moira couldn't stop herself from sobbing as Slade continued speaking. "I trusted him to make the right choice."

Moira wept harder when she saw the tears In Oliver's eyes as he said. "Let me make the right choice now. Kill me!" Mother and sister protested to the Arrow's words, but Oliver continued shouting. "Kill me, please!"

Slade paced back and forth for a few moments before pulling out a gun as he spoke. "I am killing you, Oliver. Only more slowly than you would like."

Oliver spoke with panic in his eyes as he begged Slade Wilson, over and over, in a soft voice that got progressively louder. "Don't!"

But Slade just ignored Oliver as he continued pointing the gun between his "brother's" mother and sister as he repeatedly insisted that Oliver "Choose!"

Oliver refused this command to choose which of his relatives should die, over and over again, while threatening Slade Wilson. But it was clear to everyone who was on the side of Old Starling that Slade was going to kill one, if not both, of the Queen females tonight, and that Oliver Queen was powerless to stop this from happening.

Moira knew what she had to do.

With a sob, Moira cried out a single, defiant word as she stood up. "No!"

The mother saw the horror in her son's eyes as a look of recognition passed between them, just before Oliver spoke in a panicked, confused tone. "Mom?"

But Moira was deaf to her son's protests as she shook her head. "There's only one way this night can end." The Queen matriarch turned towards her captor and spoke with a tremble in her voice. "And we both know that. Don't we?"

Slade didn't respond for a moment, so Moira reinforced her point as she purposely ignored her children pleading for her not to do what she was about to do. What she needed to do. "Both my children will live. Both my children will live!"

Slade turned his one good eye towards Moira and lifted his gun towards the woman, and Moira had to shout over her daughter's protests now. The fact that she was about to die for her daughter, who hated her, burned itself into Moira's mind. But that didn't matter anymore. Only protecting her children mattered, so Moira Queen loudly shouted over her daughter. "Thea, I love you. Close your eyes, baby!"

Slade looked Moira in the eye then as the man spoke while putting his gun away. "You possess true courage."

The one-eyed man turned away from Moira as he put his gun away. However, Moira could see that her captor was taking a sword out of his coat now, so the woman braced herself for the end as the madman said, "I'm truly sorry…You did not pass that on to your son!"

Slade then quickly turned around, blade in hand...

BOOM!

Just before a small, but powerful, explosion instantly turned Slade Wilson's entire head into a bloody pulp. The event caused blood…and other materials that nobody wanted to think about, to rain all over Moira and her offspring, even as Deathstroke's lifeless body fell to the ground. A few seconds later, Moira Queen began to scream while her daughter started to hurl onto the ground in front of her.

Only Oliver was completely calm, and her son's stoic demeanor gave Moira the courage to stop screaming as Oliver finally drew himself to his feet while he looked from his relatives to Slade Wilson's corpse. "Mom, Thea. I need you to listen to me right now. That piece of black metal sticking out of Slade's neck was part of an explosive arrowhead. We don't know if the person who shot it is an ally of ours, or just an enemy of Slade's, and I don't want to wait around to find out. If we want to survive, we need to run…."

But Oliver's words were interrupted as a man in a matching black cloak and hood walked out of the nearby woods and began speaking. "That won't be necessary, Oliver."

Moira looked quizzically at her two offspring, wondering if her children were hearing the same voice she was, or if she was having some kind of psychotic episode, but the confused expressions on her children's faces indicated they were thinking the same thing. Before Moira could dwell on this, however, the man in black drew back his hood with a trembling hand, revealing a face that was thinner and paler than Moira remembered it. However the man's identity was unmistakable.

Robert Queen looked right at the three individuals he had just rescued. "Oliver, Thea, Moira. I'm here to help…."

Moira Queen didn't even hear the end of that sentence before she fainted into her late husband's arms.

* * *

When Moira Queen woke up In Starling General Hospital hours later, both of her children, who were sporting bandages on their heads, were sitting beside her hospital bed. But it was Oliver who first noticed that his mother was awake, and he was already shaking Thea's shoulder and pointing to their mom by the time Moira's eyes had even opened fully. "Mom's awake."

Oliver looked at his mother with a worried expression on his face. "Are you okay, mom? The doctors said that your injuries from the car crash weren't that bad. Even less serious than ours, but you were out for so long, and I just wanted to make sure that…"

Thea was less subdued, and the dark haired girl quickly drew her mother into a hug. "I'm so glad you're alive, mom!" Thea started crying then. "I was so angry with you. I even told you I hated you! And then you almost died! And I keep thinking about how my last words to you would have been angry ones if that had happened, and I am so, so sorry!"

Moira sat up with a grunt so she could hold her daughter close to her on the hospital bed. "It's okay, Thea. The last week or so has been a crazy one, and you and Oliver had every reason to be angry with me. I don't hold that against you." Moira looked pointedly at Oliver as well. "Against either of you. Because you are both my children and I love you. No matter what. Even If I am really bad at showing it sometimes."

Oliver and Thea both nodded, before Moira Queen let out a longer groan, then a chuckle. "But, as glad as I am that my children are both talking to me and calling me 'Mom' again, my muscles are still quite sore from the accident so…"

Thea quickly jumped off her mother's hospital bed. "Oh! Sorry, mom!"

Moira smiled. "You really should stop apologizing, Thea. I don't feel that bad. Although, I think that my head injury may be more serious than the doctors think. I had the strangest nightmare after the accident! I dreamt that Slade Wilson was going to kill me. And Oliver, your father, of all people, came to rescue me!"

Oliver and Thea looked at each other before Oliver quickly closed the door to the hospital room and leaned against it before he began speaking in a low volume. "All that stuff actually happened, mom. Slade Wilson is dead now. But so is our driver. And my father is alive again, but there are still a whole lot of problems we are going to have to deal with before we, and this city, are safe."

Moira shook her head. "I don't understand! That's impossible! Your father had been dead for over six years!"

Thea frowned. "We know. After you passed out, you missed Ro…dad's, explanation of how and why he was alive and in Starling. It's all pretty out there stuff. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all."

Oliver nodded. "Out there doesn't even begin to cover it. I didn't believe my dad had come back either, at first. I mean, I watched him die off the coast of the island…." Moira and Thea both looked at Oliver with widened eyes at that statement, but Oliver kept talking. "But the man who saved us knew everything about me and Thea, mom. Favorite colors, least favorite teachers, the time I went hunting with dad over a long weekend but we told you that we went to an amusement park instead so you wouldn't be mad he taught me how to shoot a gun." Moira rolled her eyes at that while Oliver kept speaking. "He also knew about Thea's favorite chewing gum when she was 12, and that girl I liked in second grade. The one I picked on because I liked her, but I was afraid to admit it to anyone because she wore glasses. I can barely even remember that girl's first name now, but our rescuer remembered that it was…"

Moira nodded her head. "Vanessa. I remember. Robert told me you told him about that. Years ago. But neither of us ever told anyone else about your old crush on her. So…Robert Queen, your father, is back from the dead. How? And why isn't he here right now?"

Thea sighed. "Dad is taking care of some stuff for us because Oliver is too injured to do much right now. As for the other questions…Ok. So, this was all a rather rushed conversation as R…dad, drove us all to the hospital, you understand, but…Malcolm Merlyn survived the night of the Undertaking…"

Moira nodded. "I know. That was the thing I was going to tell all of you when the car crash happened." Moira looked at Thea. "Malcolm confronted me some time ago, Thea. He told me that he was the one that rigged the jury so that I could get out of prison…so that I would tell you that he was your father. Then he wanted to take you away from me and raise you as his own. That's one reason…as well as the shame I felt for committing adultery all those years ago, that I didn't want to tell you who your father was. I was afraid that I would lose you, and to the psychopath that killed your half-brother and over 500 others, of all people!"

Thea had a non-plused look on her face now. "Oh. That…almost makes sense. Not that I would actually let Malcolm come anywhere near me, and it doesn't fully explain why you didn't tell me about my parentage years ago, but…I could see why you would be afraid of him taking me away from you. Anyway…" Thea let out a long exhale. "Dad said that there is this super-powerful group of people, a big hush hush secret society called the League of Assassins, who want Malcolm dead after the Undertaking. And they are willing to go to any lengths to make that happen. Even resurrecting the dead!"

Moira shook her head. "I don't understand. I've heard of the League of Assassins, but how could they possibly bring someone back to life?"

Oliver rubbed two of his fingers together as he spoke. "The League has something they call the Lazarus Pitt. It can heal even the most mortal of wounds, and, on very rare occasions, even raise the dead. There are apparently a lot of drawbacks to using it, but dad didn't really have time to go into what they all were. Anyway, the League found my father's body on the island and dug it up shortly after the Undertaking took place. See, the Assassins figured that, since dad and Malcolm used to be best friends, my father would have a lot of information that would help them find and kill Malcolm. After they resurrected dad, the League trained him for months, until he regained his memories, so he could tell the leader of the Assassin's, Ra's al Ghul, everything he knew about Malcom Merlyn. Which dad did, apart from the fact that Thea is Malcom's biological daughter. He kept that to himself. Anyway, the original plan was for Ra's to send dad to kill Malcolm, once his training was complete, if all of the other assassins failed to find and kill the Dark Archer. But there was a problem..."

Oliver sighed loudly, and Thea interrupted her brother with moisture in her eyes. "The Lazarus Pitt didn't work right on dad. No one knows why. Maybe he'd been dead too long when they used it on him, but…" Thea just managed to dry the last few tears that fell from her face before continuing. "Dad is dying again. He said he only has about one to three months to live. At most. Some rare degenerative neurological disorder that he didn't have before and neither medical science, nor further dips in the Lazarus Pitt, can cure. And his hands have started shaking uncontrollably over the past few months, at random times, making his skills as a warrior suspect, no matter how much of a natural he apparently is with a bow, so….After he asked them to, the League released dad from their ranks so he could come back to Starling, say goodbye to us, and take care of any unfinished business. With the condition that he would kill Malcolm Merlyn if he ever ran across him and had the chance. When dad came back to Starling, he tracked us down as quickly as he could, and then rescued us from Slade."

Thea paced back and forth for several seconds as her eyes got watery again. "And now here we are! And now I know, since dad talked to me right after we dropped you off here, but before he left the hospital, that, even though he's known for years I'm not his biological daughter, Robert Queen still loves me, and thinks of me as his own daughter. I realize now that matters more than some accident of biology that says a madman is my dad. Robert Queen is my dad, in every way that matters, and now I'm about to lose him all over again!"

Oliver hugged Thea to his side before he turned towards his mom. "Dad also took me to the side after he talked to Thea. I explained the danger Queen Consolidated, this city, and our family is in because of the alliance between the army of Brother Blood, whoever he is, the late Slade Wilson, and Isabel Rochev, which I told you both about, separately, earlier night. And then…"

Oliver sighed while his sister pulled away from her brother's side hug. "Dad made me promise to wait here while he 'takes care of everything.' He said that he was tired of this family suffering for his mistakes and he wanted to fix things himself for once, instead of laying that burden on me. I don't know how he thinks he is going to fix all of our problems on his own, but…dad swore he has a plan to do just that. And since I'm clearly in no shape to fight anyone right now, and because he's dad…I promised to let him help us…at least until I'm back in fighting shape again. Oh, and you should know that dad told me he knew I was the Arrow, because Ra's al Ghul told him, and he said I should tell Thea, because he didn't want any more secrets splitting the Queen family apart."

"And then Oliver told me, obviously." Thea added in a deadpan voice as she held her head in her hands. "And I would probably be way more pissed then I am about yet another secret being kept from me, but after the events of today, I already feel like my brain is going to explode and I am just too tired to be mad at the people I love right now. So I vote we just wait until dad gets back and tells us what is going on, and stop talking anymore until then, ok?"

Moira, who was having just as much trouble processing everything that had happened while she was unconscious as Thea was, just nodded. "Okay."

* * *

The Queens checked out of Starling General Hospital at ten AM the morning after Slade Wilson's death, and a limo was waiting to pick them up when the mother and her two children walked onto the side walk at the front of the building. By that point in time, The Queen siblings and Moira had already watched the seven O' clock news, so they knew that, in addition to their car accident and the death of Slade Wilson, another very important event had occurred last night. An entire section of road had collapsed as the result of a large underground explosion, sending several tons of concrete, asphalt, and other road material into the sewers. Thankfully, no individuals had been driving on the road when the explosion occurred at 3 in the morning. But the blast, which had initially been ruled an act of willful destruction of property by SCPD after explosive materials were found on what remained of the road, had led to an investigation involving multiple charges of premeditated murder after the bodies of several dozen masked individuals had been found in the remains of the sewers below the collapsed road. Nevertheless, the newscaster had reported, many people in Starling City considered the unknown individuals who had blown up a section of FM 236 to be heroes for, apparently, bringing the reign of terror caused by Brother Blood (which had been revealed to be none other than Alderman Sebastian Blood) and his followers to an end.

Two other notable events had happened earlier that morning. Robert Queen had called his family on speakerphone and told them to be ready to be picked up at 10 AM for a trip to the airport. Also, the Queen patriarch had told Oliver something else. "I talked to Isabel Rochev last night, Oliver. I was able to….persuade her to tell me where Brother Blood's base was, and convinced her to help me destroy it. That man and his flunkies won't be a problem for you anymore!" Robert's family had elected not to ask Robert what he had been forced to do for Isabel in order to secure her cooperation, before the Queen patriarch added. "Also, Miss Rochev will be signing controlling interest in Queen Consolidated back to you for next to nothing, Oliver. At least in financial terms. But there will be…another cost involved. I'll explain everything when I pick you all up later. Just know that Isabel doesn't have the Mirakuru in her anymore. While he was still alive, Slade had some scientist create a cure, in case he lost control of any of his soldiers, and he put the serum in Isabel's safe keeping. I convinced her to take the cure, and she is going to give the rest of it to you so you can help your friend, Roy Harper, whom Isabel told me about, when your business with Miss Rochev is concluded. I have some other business to take care of before I pick you all up. Goodbye." Then Robert Queen had hung up, and all attempts on Oliver's part to call his dad back at the same number were ignored.

In the meantime, after Sara Lance made a brief visit to the hospital to make sure Oliver was okay, and Oliver told her, in vague details, what was going on, Walter Steele had sent flowers to Moira Queen's hospital Room after he heard about Slade Wilson's attempt to murder her. SCPD had questioned Moira and her children about that event for the better part of an hour last night, only leaving after each family member had told their cover story, which omitted Robert Queen's presence in lieu of the Arrow saving them from Deathstroke, and which mentioned nothing about Oliver's past issues with Slade, at least three times each. Finally, hospital personnel had managed to chase the cops away so that the family could get some sleep. Therefore, Moira had not particularly liked the reminder about the events of the previous evening, even if the paper that reminder was written on was her favorite kind of lavender scented stationery, and that said note had come with some white lilies. However, Moira Queen couldn't help but smile at her ex-husband's concern for her well-being, or at the fact that he apologized 3 times in his letter for being unable to check up on her in person, since he had a long board meeting this morning for his bank that, as CEO, he could not skip. But most of all, Moira was both puzzled and moved by the way Walter had ended his note for her. "Love, Walter."

Since Walter had not told Moira he loved her since before the divorce, since before he had been kidnapped last year, actually, Moira was puzzled why he had ended his "get well" note for her in that way. Moira's practical mind tried to brush that one written word off as a result of sentimentality on Walter's part because of his ex-almost being killed. But the Queen matriarch's heart couldn't help but hope that word meant Walter had realized he still loved her in the wake of her near demise, and that the man would be willing to take her back. Yes, there was still the newly reanimated Robert to consider, but Moira knew she had not been in love with the father of her firstborn for years now, and the Queen matriarch had a feeling that situation was about to resolve itself. Therefore, Moira Queen felt no guilt whatsoever when she climbed into the front passenger seat of the limo while still carrying the note and flowers Walter had sent her.

Moira and her children, both of whom climbed into the passenger seats at the rear of the vehicle due to their unspoken agreement to let mom and dad have some alone time, were a bit surprised to find that Robert Queen was driving the limo himself. However, nobody had much time to think about this set of affairs before the Queen patriarch drove the vehicle out of the parking lot.

Not that it mattered, since Robert answered everyone's unasked question as soon as he was on the road anyway. "You know. I spent three decades of my life being driven around in limos, but I never got to drive one myself. So, I thought, 'Since I have a second chance at life, I want to ride on Starling City's streets in style myself. Just once.' So here I am, doing just that."

Robert glanced backward using the rear view mirror to look at his two "children" in the back seat. "Oliver, Thea, I will talk to both of your when we get to the airport. Right now, I would like a word alone with your mother. Is that alright with you two?"

After both of his children nodded, Robert wordlessly rolled up the dark-tinted window between the driver and passenger sections of the limo and turned towards his former wife. The Queen patriarch smiled when he saw the flowers and note in Moira's hand, but he said nothing of those items as he began speaking to Moira as he drove. "My flight from Starling City leaves in a few hours. I have to go away again, and I don't think I will be coming back this time. I haven't told Oliver and Thea that yet, although they can probably guess. I…I know it's selfish, but I want to have just a little bit more time where my children still look up to me. Still see me as some sort of hero for saving them, and you. Before they know what deal I had to make to secure their futures. To get the company back to Oliver, and to make sure that Thea gets to keep her club. And also, before my children realize that the whole situation they are in is my fault. That if I hadn't apposed Malcolm's Undertaking, my son wouldn't have been stranded on that accursed island and roused Slade's wrath against himself and this family. That my poor moral and financial choices, with Isabel, and with comingling most of our family's assets into Queen Consolidated, almost got all three of you thrown into the poor house."

Moira sighed after the pale, emaciated shell of the man who had once been her husband trembled from head to toe as several tears came rolling down the bearded man's face from behind the sunglasses he was wearing. In that moment, despite all the trouble that Robert Queen's decisions had gotten the Queen family into over the last six years, Moira Queen felt nothing but pity for the dying man seated next to her in the car. So, after several seconds, Moira replied to Robert's words while the man was wiping his tears away and getting the tremors in his hands under control. "You're not being completely fair to yourself, Robert. Malcolm's Undertaking was awful, and you attempting to stop it, which, may I remind you, I told you to do, was the right thing to do. If not for your, and then our son's, efforts to stop it, the Undertaking would have taken even more lives than it did. And you stopped Slade before he could hurt this family irreparably. So, there is that to consider."

Robert forced a thin smile. "Maybe you are right. I guess even I can't screw up everything all the time." The Queen patriarch sighed. "Still, I have a lot to answer for, and we have an hour before we reach the airport. You must have questions for me. So, please. Ask."

Moira sighed. "I suppose the most obvious question is: What does Isabel want from us in exchange for turning on her former partners in crime and signing the company over for…how much? Because we don't actually have that much money in our trusts since the Undertaking."

Robert chuckled. "One dollar. One dollar in exchange for nearly 100% of the company, aside from $100 million in shares, which she will keep for herself. Enough to live quite comfortably on for the rest of her days, if she uses it wisely. Isabel doesn't want money from us, and she wants nothing from you, Oliver, or Thea. She just wants…."

"You." Moira finished for her late husband, in a flat tone of voice.

The Queen patriarch sighed. "Yes. I tried to tell her that I was dying. That I wanted to spend my last days with my children, but Isabel wouldn't have it. The only way she would agree to stay away from you and the children, help me stop Blood's army, and give the company back to my family, was if I agreed to run away with her, for real this time, and spend my last month or three with her while she takes care of me. And it would be too dangerous to back out of the deal after Isabel signs the company over to Oliver. Hell hath no fury like that woman scorned. This family has certainly learned that the hard way."

Moira said nothing for several seconds before she sighed and replied. "Robert, I'm not going to tell you how to live out your remaining time on this earth. And even if 'forsaking all others' meant anything to us before, and we've both messed up on that score, those rules no longer apply, because death has already parted us. You can be with whoever you want…"

Robert interrupted his former wife. "This isn't what I want, Moira. I told you that. But that's the only deal I could make…"

But Moira didn't let Robert off the hook that easily. "Then why don't you just kill Isabel after those papers are signed? Or have Oliver do it? Then you can spend your last days with your children, and we won't have to worry about Isabel coming back for vengeance, again, after you are gone. Just kill her!"

Robert shook his head and spoke in a firm tone of voice. "No."

Moira sighed and shook her head. "I can't believe it. You still love her, don't you? After everything she's done to this family, to your children, you still have feelings for Isabel!?"

Robert grimaced. "I don't know. If you must know, I did love her, before all of this happened. Before the Queen's Gambit. But I loved Oliver and Thea more, and I knew that if I left you for Isabel, you would get full custody of Thea, since you could prove to the courts that she's not my biological daughter, and I would lose my little girl forever. Once I realized I couldn't live with that outcome, I knew I had to end things with Isabel to keep Thea in my life. But…" Robert sighed deeply. "I shouldn't have ended things with Miss Rochev the way that I did. I should not have fired Isabel from a distance the very next day after I had promised to run away with her. That was a cold way to end things between us. I could have just transferred Isabel to another department of the company, and explained to her, in person, why I had to break things off with her. Because don't you see, Moira? This twisted, angry person Isabel has become? All of the bad she has done to you and our children? That's my fault. I'm the one who seduced Isabel, told her I loved her, made her fall for me, promised her forever…Then cut her off without so much as a goodbye. I made Isabel this way! And…I don't know. I do want to stay here with Oliver and Thea, but since I can't do that, maybe I can help Isabel get her head straight before I'm gone. Undo some of the damage I've done to her. But I definitely don't want her dead. I spent months living with assassins, Moira, and the things they made me do…" Robert cast his eyes downward for a brief moment. "…were unspeakable. Between that time, and killing Slade Wilson, I have had my fill of killing. Besides, I know how Isabel thinks. Once she gets what she wants, she will leave you and the children alone."

Moira shook her head and sighed. "Alright, fine. We'll do things your way, then. Like I said, I have no hold on you anymore. I will say, though, that Oliver has the same flaws you do. Thinking that, just because some things are his fault, that everything is. And seeing the good in everyone but himself."

Robert just shrugged, so Moira elaborated on her words. "In your case…You weren't a good husband, but you are, and you were, a good father. You have always put Oliver and Thea before yourself, in the end. And you may not have been the most ethical businessman, but you have tried to help the Glades, and this city, multiple times, even when it killed you. I'm not sure you are a good man, but I'm certain you aren't a completely bad one, either. As for your affair with Isabel, and how you ended it. That was wrong, but I know you didn't intend for any of this to happen to our family, and it is not your fault Isabel reacted the way she did to you spurning her. She made her own choices, just like you. You aren't responsible for her bad decisions."

Robert shrugged again. Moira could see that her husband couldn't be persuaded on this issue, and she waited several minutes before she said something else. "And by the way, if you had left me for Isabel, all those years ago, I would have been livid. I would have tried to get every cent of alimony that I could from you. But…" Moira shook her head. "I wouldn't have tried to keep you from visiting Thea. For one thing, Thea has always loved you, and denying you visitation rights would have been punishing her for your mistakes. And that is something I would never do. Besides, I never wanted Thea, or anybody else, for that matter, to know Malcolm Merlyn was the biological father of my daughter. So I wouldn't have risked exposure to deny you visitation rights for that reason as well."

Robert had an expression on his face that indicated he was caught somewhere between amusement and confusion as he chuckled mirthlessly and said. "Oh."

Moira frowned. "There is one more thing. I just…I don't know if it matters anymore. Forget it…"

"No." Robert shook his head. "I said you could ask me anything, and I meant it. I owe you that much. That, and much more."

Moira frowned. "Okay, then. Did you ever love me? Or was our marriage just an act the whole time? Something you felt you had to do after you got me pregnant with Oliver? Because I loved you. I don't anymore. But I did. For a long time."

Robert's answer was immediate. "Yes. I did love you. For many years. But I took you for granted. Threw myself into my work. Told myself I was trying to secure a better future for my family. For you. And as I distanced myself from you, my love for you diminished. I threw myself into one dalliance after another with multiple women, telling myself that I was just trying to relieve stress, that you were blissfully ignorant, and that what you didn't know wouldn't hurt you."

Moira huffed. "I was neither blissful, nor ignorant, Robert."

The Queen patriarch's face twitched slightly and his hands shook for several seconds. "Yes. I know that now. I was a fool. A fool for letting work, and other women, come between us. For letting our love die."

Moira cast her eyes down in shame. "Every word true, Robert. Except that you weren't the only one at fault for the state our marriage was in before the Gambit. I didn't help matters when I cheated on you with Malcom Merlyn, of all people."

Robert waved his right hand in a dismissing manner. "I forgave you for that a long time ago. I had been unfaithful to you for years before that happened, Moira. You were just reacting. And we both know that Malcolm wasn't the same monster then as he is now. He didn't become that person until the League of Assassins corrupted him and turned him into a weapon. And we both know that I was already incapable of siring children by the time that affair happened, so if you hadn't done what you did, we would never have had a second child to raise, much less someone as wonderful as Thea is. I guess what I'm saying is, I should never have given you as hard a time about that affair as I did, when I had been cheating on you for years. I'm sorry about that."

There was several more minutes of silence before anyone spoke again. Robert turned towards Moira when the limo reached a stoplight. "Now, I have a question for you. Do you still love Walter Steele?"

Moira rubbed her forehead, and, after several seconds of debating with herself whether she should answer that question, the Queen matriarch spoke. "I'm not sure that's any of your business, Robert. But yes, I still love Walter. I'm pretty sure I always will. He was there for me after you were gone, and he helped me deal with the void losing my husband and my son left in my life. He is a good man, and he and I were always faithful to each other when we were together. If he hadn't divorced me because of all the business concerning the Undertaking Malcolm blackmailed me into doing, he and I probably would have stayed together for the rest of our lives. But that relationship is over now, and I'm not going to kid myself into thinking there is any way I will ever get Walter-Steele back, even if he was kind enough to have flowers and a get-well card sent after I nearly died."

Robert smiled. "Yes. Walter was always a good person, a good friend to our family, and overall, a better man that I ever was. I'm glad he was there for you when I died. And I wouldn't be so quick to give up on the man if I were you."

Before Moira could even think to ask what her late husband meant by that, Robert pointed forward towards the airport, which was now less than a mile away. "We're here."

Within minutes, Robert had parked the limo in a parking garage, and the entire Queen family got out of the car and went into the lobby area of the busy airport. Robert Queen then sighed and, after explaining the deal that was about to go down to his children, turned towards Moira. "I'm afraid this is as far as you go. Isabel said that I could say goodbye to Oliver and Thea at the TSA checkpoint, right after she signs over the company back to our son and hands over the rest of the Mirakuru cure. But she was adamant that she didn't want to see you there, or the deal would be off. I can't tell you were I am going, because Isabel wouldn't tell me ahead of time, and you would all probably be better off not knowing anyway. This is where I must leave you. Goodbye, Moira." Robert Queen kissed Moira's forehead as he whispered, only loud enough for his former wife to hear. "I'm sorry that I wasn't the husband you deserved, for not being able to stay here with Oliver and Thea, and for all the ways that I hurt you."

Moira nodded and whispered back. "I forgive you. Go and secure our children's futures, and we'll call it even."

Robert Queen just nodded, and started walking away, before one more thought popped into Moira Queen's mind that she knew she had to voice. "And Robert! Ask Isabel to send a message to Oliver when you…when you are gone. Last time we had to wait five years for confirmation that you were no longer among us. I don't want there to be the same amount of uncertainty for this family to agonize over this time."

Robert nodded. "I'm sure I will be able to convince her to do just that."

And then Robert Queen walked out of Moira's life for the very last time, with his children following behind him.

* * *

Almost an hour passed. Moira had spent that time sorting through e-mails on her laptop, shooting down requests from reporters who wanted to interview her concerning her and her children's near death experience with Slade Wilson, and their subsequent rescue by the Arrow, or her near certain inauguration as the mayor after the election a few days from now. Thankfully, all of these tasks kept the Queen matriarch from worrying too much about the deal that was going down between her son, former husband, and Isabel Rochev. Before Moira knew it, Oliver and Thea were back with a set of signed court documents in Oliver's hands, and a glowing blue vial in Thea's hands. Oliver and Thea looked tired and confused, but were otherwise fine, when Oliver turned towards his mother and sister and said. "Well, that was weird. But the deal's been made. We got what we came here for. Diggle is already here and waiting in the limo to pick us all up. Let's go help Roy, then go home."

* * *

Within two hours, the Queens were on the way back to the Queen mansion, after Oliver and Thea had given Roy the cure to the Mirakuru (a process that Moira wasn't actually around to witness, as Oliver and Thea both asked their mother to stay in the car in case the younger man got violent) and dropped Mr. Harper off at the Verdant to sleep off the after-effects of the serum for the rest of the day.

Once Roy had been dropped off, Oliver let out a sigh of relief. "You know, other than the fact that I still have to notify the rest of my team what I have been up to over the last twenty-four hours, and explain why I haven't been returning any of their phone calls, today has gone surprisingly well. All things considered."

Thea crossed her arms and huffed. "Yeah, except that we lost dad all over again. And that Isabitch Whorechev totally won. That slut is getting away with all the shit she's pulled with Slade over the past few months completely scot free, and she gets to keep our father all to herself until the day he dies! All because of one stupid deal he made to save this family's collective ass. Oh, and because dad was too soft on Isabel to let you put a couple arrows in that bitch's chest. Or bullets."

Oliver shrugged. "I know. That part pisses me off too. Except the bit about not killing Isabel. After what happened at the airport…it is quite clear to me that Isabel is not right in the head. At all. And I wouldn't feel right killing someone that is so clearly mentally ill if I didn't have to. I mean, right in the middle of a crowd, in front of TSA, Isabel just…"

Moira held up her hand. "I don't want to know. I would actually very much like to never hear the name 'Isabel Rochev' ever again. Except…I do want to know one thing. Do you two think Robert will be safe in Isabel's care until he passes away? He may not be my husband anymore, but he is still your father, and I don't want him to be forced to live with someone that might hurt him, just to protect us."

Oliver and Thea looked at each other for a moment, then simultaneously nodded before Thea said. "I don't think you will have to worry about that, mom. Let's just say…from what I saw today, I don't think Isabel is capable of hurting dad. At all. I'll just leave it at that."

Moira exhaled in relief. "Good. Your father may not be a perfect man, but he doesn't deserve to be in an abusive relationship. Nobody does. That being said…The important thing today isn't whether Isabel won or not. The important thing is that now, my children are both safe and your futures are secure. Besides, on the off chance that Isabel actually does love your father, who knows? Having to lose the man she loves twice might eventually serve as a punishment enough for her actions on its own."

Moira started speaking again after Oliver shrugged at the last statement his mother had made. "Now, let's try to forget about…"

But Moira Queen didn't ever get to finish that sentence, as she was too distracted by the sight of the middle-aged African American man who was sitting on the doorstep to the Queen mansion, right in front of their driveway, to remember what she had been saying. And then, after seeing the tiny tears that were coming out of Walter's Steel's eyes, and how tired and nervous her ex-husband looked, Moira Queen's heart did a little lurch inside her chest as she became overwhelmed with concern over what was wrong with Walter, Then the Queen matriarch found herself acting without thinking, as she quickly opened her car door, got out of the limo before it had stopped all the way (earning herself a lecture from John Diggle that she ignored), and ran towards the man she still loved with all her heart.

It was at that moment that Walter finally noticed his ex-wife and her two children were back home. However Walter's attention was solely focused on Moira at the moment, and the CEO of Starling National Bank surprised everyone when he ran up to his ex-wife, meeting her in the middle of the Queen mansion's long driveway, and quickly hugged Moira while tears continued to fall from the usually reserved black man's face as he spoke at a frantic pace. "Moira! I heard about what happened to you last night on the news and I cleared my schedule for the rest of the day after a board meeting and came over here to see if you were alright after your phone kept going to voicemail! Are you okay? I've just been sitting here, worrying about you all morning and…now I have no idea what to say."

Moira laughed, and, thinking that Walter was just being overzealous in his polite concern for her, the middle aged woman tried to pull away from her ex. But when Walter didn't loosen his grip on her back, Moira decided to indulge him by leaning her body closer to his, even if this act hurt a little due to the bruises still on Moira's back. At the moment, the pain was worth it. "You don't have to say anything, Walter. I got your flowers and your card when I was in the hospital. They were very sweet. Thank you for your concern for my well-being. Also, I'm sorry I haven't been answering my phone, but I'm afraid my cell got destroyed in the car crash last night, How many times did you call me, anyway?"

Walter grinned sheepishly as he slowly pulled away from Moira. "Honestly? I lost count at twelve. Enough times that my phone ran out of power before I thought to e-mail you, anyway. I know that calling you that many times in four hours was irrational but…I just really wanted to make sure you are okay and…" Walter sighed, then he began purposely pacing back and forth while avoiding Moira Queen's eyes. "There's something I really need to tell you, Moira. But I don't know where to begin. I just…when I heard you had almost died, I nearly had a panic attack, and at that moment, I was forced to confront something that I have been lying to myself about for a long time now. I still love you. And then Robert Queen of all people, came to me with some crazy story about how and why he's back in Starling City, temporarily alive again, and please don't think I'm crazy because I swear that's true. I know because the lady who lives on the floor below me saw him too, although she didn't know who he was, and…The point is, Robert explained to me that it was his fault you got mixed up in Malcolm Merlyn's Undertaking in the first place and that you were acting under duress…And then he said…"

Walter shook his head in bewilderment. "Robert said that I was a better husband to you than he ever had been. That he knew you and I still loved each other, and that I was a fool for divorcing you for actions you committed because you were just trying to protect Oliver and Thea."

Moira shook her head. "Walter, you were perfectly justified for…."

But Walter wouldn't let Moira finish that thought. "And he was right. I wish you had trusted me enough to tell me about your coerced role in the Undertaking when we were married, but…in hindsight, knowing your children were being threatened, I understand why you didn't want to take that risk. I should have trusted you, but instead, I assumed the worst of you and divorced you. And in my pride, I couldn't admit I was wrong for doing so after the truth was revealed. Until now…"

Walter sighed. "Moira Queen, I was wrong for leaving you before all the facts were even in, and I am so sorry and…" Walter frowned, and Moira just looked at her ex with her eyes wide, not sure as she dared believe what her usually stoic ex was telling her right now, until that man resumed speaking. "Robert gave me his blessing to pursue you again, and even if he hadn't, death has already parted the two of you and…" Walter scowled. "He went and ran off with Isabel Rochev anyway, so…."

The middle-aged man rubbed his right hand against his bald forehead and sighed again. "I guess what I'm trying to say is…If you could forgive me for leaving you so rashly, like I forgave you long ago for the things you did under duress…I was wondering if you would possibly consider taking me b…"

Moira interrupted Walter's rambling by drawing him into a long, open-mouthed kiss that lasted so long that Oliver, Thea and Diggle, who had long since gotten out of the limo and been silently watching the conversation between Moira and Walter, eventually felt the need to look away. Several seconds after that point in time had passed, and Moira and Walter had finished expressing all the love they still had in their hearts for each other, Moira finally pulled away from her once and future husband and laughed while she wiped the remaining tears off of the man's face. "Does that answer your question, Mr. Steele?"

Walter smiled. "I believe it does, Mrs. Queen."

John Diggle smiled and nodded at Moira and Walter, then wordlessly got in his limo and drove away. But Moira's children were much less subdued in their responses to the event that just occurred. Thea Queen for her part, walked up to her mom and Walter, who were still holding hands, smiled, and said. "Took you two long enough. Good to have you back, Walter."

Walter smiled and nodded at the young woman he had come to love like a daughter over the years. "Good to be back, Thea."

Thea Queen smiled at her mom after that, before she walked past the newly reunited couple, and inside the Queen mansion, humming an old-fashioned wedding tune as she did so.

Oliver, on the other hand, walked up to Moira and Walter, briefly smiled and nodded at his mother, and outstretched one of his hands towards Walter for a handshake. When Walter took the offered hand, however, Oliver's grip became uncomfortably firm and as strong as steel. The slightly older man found he couldn't quite pull his hand away for the several seconds it took for Oliver to say his peace. "Glad you're back, Walter. Now, I expect you'll be living in the mansion with my mother again within a month, and married to her again within six months. And please don't break my mother's heart again. You make a good stepfather, so I would hate to have to break you."

Moira gave her oldest child a stern look which Oliver merely shrugged off as he walked into the mansion, completely ignoring his mother's reprimand. "Oliver!"

Walter, who was still flexing his still throbbing hand, shook his head. "It's alright, Moira. I probably deserved that. And I can hardly blame your son for looking out for his mother. Besides, at least this time, I know that Oliver actually wants me around."

Moira Queen shook her head. "I suppose that is just Oliver's way of welcoming you back into the Queen family. Still, I will have a talk with my son later about going easier on you. Right now, however, I am actually feeling quite hungry, since I haven't had time to eat since last night. So, would you mind joining my family and me for a late brunch?"

Walter offered Moira his arm, and his ex-wife took it with a chuckle, before the African American CEO replied. "I would love to."

* * *

A week after Slade Wilson's death, Moira Queen found herself standing on a tall platform in front of Starling City's courthouse, speaking in front of a large crowd of cops, public officials, members of the associated press, and several individuals who were close to Moira, including the one who had bought the brand new diamond ring that now permanently resided on the Queen matriarch's left ring finger. Moira smiled periodically at several people in this last group of individuals as she gave her mayoral acceptance speech. And even as she gave her well-rehearsed speech, her thoughts, and gaze, primarily drifted between the individuals who were nearest and dearest to Moira.

Like her daughter, Thea. Moira's daughter currently had her arm around Roy Harper, whom the youngest official Queen had gotten back together with after the former thief and Oliver had explained that the Arrow had forced Roy to break up with his sister while the younger man was under the influence of the Mirakuru, in order to keep Thea safe. But now that Roy was in his right mind again, Oliver had actually vouched for Roy, and encouraged Thea to get back together with Red Arrow, because Oliver knew that being with Roy made his little sister happy. All this information had been relayed to Moira by Thea herself. Moira had made a point to speak with Roy several times since the young man got back together with her daughter, and the surprisingly well-mannered former criminal had managed to make a very good impression on Moira so far. Enough that Moira was already starting to think the young man might make a good son-in law someday.

Moira had similar thoughts concerning Sara Lance, who was currently hanging on Oliver Queen's arm. Although Moira knew that two of the newly reappointed public officials in the crowd in front of her (for the words of the Mayor elect had a lot of sway in Starling City), Detective Quentin Lance, and his daughter, Assistant DA Laurel Lance, both had their misgivings about one of their family members dating Oliver Queen, Moira saw the potential for Sara to be a good wife for her son in the future. After all, although Oliver wouldn't talk much about it, he told Moira, several days after Slade's death, that Sara had been stranded on the same island as him for a time, and that the two of them had depended on each other for survival. So the Arrow's mother knew the youngest Lance could be counted on to help protect her son in a crises. Furthermore, Sara had been supportive of her boyfriend's recent decision to pursue obtaining visitation rights for his son, William, whom Moira had told Oliver about in an attempt to rid herself of the last big secret that she had been keeping from her family.

` Although Oliver had initially been angry about Moira's deception about the existence of her grandchild, the Arrow had admitted that he had not been ready to be a father when he got William's mom pregnant, and Moira's son had not threatened to disavow his mother for keeping secrets from him this time. In any case, Moira had every confidence that Oliver would be a good father now, And the Queen matriarch secretly hoped that Sara, who had been making every attempt to get on Moira's good side since Oliver had told his family he was dating the blonde woman, would someday become William's stepmom. After all, judging by the rare smile on her son's face, Sara made Oliver happy. And happiness was all that Moira had ever wanted for both of her children.

Finally, just before Moira finished her speech, her eyes landed on the smiling face of her ex-husband, and current fiancée, Walter Steele. Although, officially, the CEO of the most powerful bank in Starling City had come to this event to represent the major stockholders of his company, who had sponsored Moira's run for mayor, everyone present at the acceptance speech knew that Walter Steele had a much more intimate relationship with his ex-wife now. After all, it was public knowledge, thanks to some of Starling City's more tenacious paparazzi, that Walter had proposed to Moira Queen the night after Slade had attacked the soon to be Mayor, and that the man had moved back into the Queen mansion the day after that. Somehow, the press had even managed to learn that Walter and Moira had planned to get remarried in only a month's time, in a small ceremony with only a justice of the peace, as well as Moira and Walter's immediate family members and their significant others, present. Thankfully, the exact time and place that the wedding was going to take place still remained a secret, and the Queen family was determined to keep it that way. After all, Malcolm Merlyn was still on the loose, and Moira didn't want to give the man any easy opportunities to abduct his biological daughter before the Arrow caught up to the Dark Archer and put several arrows in the villain's head and chest

But Moira put that morbid thought aside as she once again faced the entire crowd in front of her as she finally completed the last few lines of her five minute speech. "And that is what makes our city great! Starling City is a city of survivors! We survived Malcolm Merlyn's Undertaking! We survived a false mayor, as well as Slade Wilson and Sebastian Blood's reign of terror! And as your mayor, I promise you, with the help of SCPD's new anti-crime initiative, which will involve limited cooperation with the vigilantes when it is strictly necessary, as well as the support of some of the pillars of our business community, like Walter Steele and my son, Oliver, Starling City will continue to survive. But if the everyday citizens of this city, plumbers, electricians, bus drivers, and people of every profession in between, vote for the City Council to support all of my proposed plans, which I have already explained to you all in some detail, to create new jobs, homes, and infrastructure, Starling City will do more than survive! Starling City will thrive!"

Moira Queen smiled at her loved ones as she left the podium and briefly allowed herself to bask in the long round of applause from the crowd. At this moment, Moira Queen felt content. Despite the obstacles that still lay before her and her family, for the first time in over six years, Moira looked to the future with hope.

THE END

 **AN: Hope you enjoyed this one-shot, readers, but please let me know what you really think in a review!**

 **I wrote this story as part of a Christmas fic exchange with Czarna Pantera. That author challenged me to create a new Arrow story in which Moira Queen lives through the events of "Seeing Red", and I decided to accept that challenge by writing a "Robert Queen comes back from the dead and tries to fix everything" fic. And things just sort of snowballed from there. In any case, I hoped you all liked the story, and that any fans of my previous Arrow stories don't mind that my portrayal of Isabel was very different in this fanfic. This is a different Arrow universe, after all.**

 **Also, I realize that the scene between Moira and Walter near the end of this story was probably OOC for both of those characters, but I didn't feel I had the time to create a slow-burn romance rekindling for those two characters, and I wanted to give Moira a happy ending here. So I figured, what the heck. So this is the ending you're getting.**

 **In any case, I would like to thank everyone who cared enough to read this fanfiction, especially those of you who decide to review this humble story. And a special thank you goes out to my beta reader, who puts up with reading all my harebrained stories and actually makes them readable. Your help is both necessary and appreciated!**

 **Until next time, I am…**

 **-supercode**


End file.
